An otoscope is an instrument normally designed to allow a physician to peer inside an ear or into a nose through a lighted pathway and to allow directing wash liquid inside an ear or nose through an insufflation port. At times, particularly in infants, there are foreign bodies such as a bead within an ear or nose that necessitate removal. A better method than insufflation for foreign body removal is desirable and at times is a necessity.
The objectives of this invention include low cost retrofitting of an otoscope to allow removal of foreign material from a nose and ear in a rapid patient comfortable manner.
The invention includes a Tee piece with one arm of the Tee sized to snap into the insufflation port of the otoscope; a second arm to connect to a vacuum source and a third arm open to the atmosphere to be partially closed using finger pressure in order to allow the user to have a control over the vacuum in the otoscope. The size of the finger closable arm opening and control of the vacuum source are such that with the finger closable arm totally open there is essentially no vacuum in the otoscope.
The invention further includes several embodiments of retrofitting units for the speculum of the otoscope to allow the user to operably attach one of the retrofit units on the speculum or on the speculum holder and insert the otoscope to place the end of the retrofit unit lightly against a foreign body and to partially close the atmospheric end of the Tee piece to pull a slight vacuum to hold the foreign body against the end of the retrofit unit thereby allowing removal of the foreign body by withdrawing the otoscope. In all embodiments the speculum or the foreign body remover extensions are ridged or so formed as to prevent in use sealing of the retrofitted speculum or speculum holder against the outer ear to thereby form a cavity wherein a slight vacuum could damage the tympanic membrane.
Minor changes to the speculum or the speculum retrofit units of the otoscope would be easily made but would be within the purview of the invention. We wish to be limited only to the spirit and purpose as outlined in these specifications and claims.